Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was going down clinton keith in murrieta when all of a sudden my transmission would not shift passed 3rd. It was working fine the day before. So I took it slow back home and the closer I got home the transmisson started slipping gears.
Dt: while driving in July the owner noticed that there was a problem with the shift mechanism. The gear position indicator was not correct. The vehicle had a normal position indicator for about 7 years. Then one day it went out of wack. The reverse was where neutral should be, neutral was where drive should be, and drive was where second gear should be. The owner has not taken it to the dealership or contacted them yet. The owner has not contacted the manufacturer. There was no problem with the transmission's performance, the owner is just concerned because he doesn't know what gear the car was in. The owner added that the gas pedal got stuck yesterday. The owner was backing out of a driveway. The owner was going slowly and and went to push the accelerator and it wouldn't accelerate. The gas pedal was jammed. The owner thinks the pedal was down a little bit and there was no reaction. …
The 1998 Ford Explorer accelerator pedal fell off. I was driving at 60 MPH in a straight line and accelerating to 65 MPH when I felt a pop. The accelerator pedal stopped working. Despite the emergency flashers, I was nearly rear-ended by a car that didn't notice I was slowing down on the freeway. Luckily, I pulled over and stopped safely. Looking at the break, I think the sheet metal holding the rivets was too weak. On 5/23/07 I called the Ford customer relations hot line. They refused to help stating only there are no recalls on my car. I believe this is a safety issue and can very easily result in an accident and deaths. Ford should investigate this and pay for repairs of defective materials used or improper installation. When was the last time you heard of an accelerator peddle falling off?
Vehicle lost power (to accelerate) yesterday after grinding noise from transmission. Coasted into a parking lot, but was unable to move it from there. Continued to grind moving shift lever from any gear into park. Vehicle has less than 60,000 miles on it. Current transmission is a replacement. Previous (original) transmission dropped into neutral and engine revved (w/ loss of power) at inopportune moments- while accelerating or trying to accelerate, while coasting or while at a complete stop. Began complaining about this about a month after purchase, but transmission was not replaced until jan. 2002. I was given a 12-month warranty on it then, although the vehicle was purchased with the extended warranty, which was supposed to cover everything (bumper to bumper) to 50,000 miles.
April 2, 2002, while driving on a flat, straight freeway, the rear driver's side axle broke. The tire came off the car and sailed through the air. I lost control of vehicle immediately, resulting in a severe skid and vehicle roll-over. Crash resulted in driver sustaining large bump on head from roof collapse and a concussion. Numerous cuts, bruises, and severe muscle stress/strain of neck, shoulders and back. Also received deep contusion on chest due to seat belt retraction. I feel blessed to be alive to make this report. 2 weeks after accident still experiencing body pain. I can just now talk about the roll-over without crying. My family and myself have been through hell. Vehicle is a total loss.
We were driving along in our 1998 Ford Explorer and the overdrive light started blinking and then it would not shift into 3rd gear. It occurs everytime we drive the car now. We took it to a Ford dealer, they said it was a torque converter and that it was 2000 dollars. About 2 weeks later it would not come out of third gear. Ford dealer said it was not the same problem, and the transmission needed replaced for 4000 dollars. We did some research and found that this is a very common problem from 98-04 explorers, as they share the same transmission. Link: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2002/transmission/transmission_failure.shtml feel free to call me anytime.
Have Ford exeplorer 1998 transmission has been acting up for a year and a half. Jerking when you put it in reverse and clunking when you put it in to drive. My exeplorer just turned 60.000 miles and the transmission is no longer working,I can not believe the problems I have had with this car,from having a wreck and airbag not deploying to all of the recalls,had the bad tires and windsheild wipers not working.they should really have to do something about the exeplorer from that year.ibought my exeplorer in oct,98 of that year new. When my exeplorer was hit head on ,the police asked if I turned off my airbags.the car had to be towed.
The timing chain tensioner broke allowing the chain to slip. It was a recall problem but I was not the original owner and the problem must not have been addressed, or else the recall didn't get done properly. After the repair it hasn't had good oil pressure at idle. It is too bad that Ford put this motor in so many vehicles and doesn't stand behind they. It is poor design in my opinion to have four timing chains on a 4.0 liter motor is crazy. I wish that Ford would have put more effort into seeing that my vehicle were recalled and not allowed to depreciate because it was happening to so many other Explorer.
Faulty transmission in 1998 Ford Explorer. Vehicle was bought from Ford dealership, approximately 4 yrs. Old when purchased. Trans. Not shifting properly after first year of ownership or approx. 65,000 miles. Would not go into reverse at all shortly afterward. Hard and late shifting from 2nd to 3rd, and transmission will frequently totally disengage while driving at 55 to 60 MPH, engine will rev., but car will start slowing down. Engine sounds like it's going to blow up while waiting for transmission to shift. Had transmission rebuilt by private mechanic and problem is still the same.
When foot is not on brake, vehicle can be shifted into any gear. Ignition would be in between on and off when this occurs. Have taken to dealership, and informed by mechanic all vehicles are designed like that. Consumer states owners manual specifically states that vehicle has interlock safety and the brake must be applied to shift into gear, this caused an accident where vehicle ran into a fence.
NHTSA investigations
Vehicle hesitation/stalling
There is no summary currently available
Transmission complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1998 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 103 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1998 Ford Explorer, 5% of the model year's 1,959 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (40 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Ford Explorer transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1998 Ford Explorer, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Explorer transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 108,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.